The world’s first cancer vaccine trial has started. Here’s what that . . . A cancer vaccine could have a vastly significant impact worldwide Overall, 10,000 people could receive bespoke cancer treatments on the UK National Health Service, the world’s largest publicly funded health service, by 2030 This would mark a major step towards dramatically reducing cancer rates worldwide in the coming decades
These are the countries best prepared for the fight against cancer The Economist Intelligence Unit’s new Index of Cancer Preparedness investigated the state of readiness in 28 countries for what it terms “the global epidemic of cancer” Although high-income countries have the most cases of cancer, it warns that low- and middle-income nations will see the fastest spread of the disease
AI and nanotechnology could make cancer therapy affordable | World . . . After suffering 16 months of chemotherapy for her leukaemia, treatment options for six-year-old Emily Whitehead had run out Her parents began to fear the worst As a last-ditch effort, the University of Pennsylvania enrolled Emily in a clinical trial that involved reprogramming her immune cells to destroy her cancer The results were
Could we be on the cusp of ending cancer as we know it? Every cancer detected earlier is a chance to save a life There is nothing more important This year we saw reassuring policy progress on screening with key updates to national cancer plans across the globe that further prioritise prevention and early detection, specifically in lung cancer – one of the deadliest forms of cancer
Discover this weeks must-read health stories | World Economic Forum Cancer is particularly prevalent in older populations, with more than half of all new cancer diagnoses and 72% of cancer-related deaths occurring in those over 65 This study highlights the promise of immune checkpoint inhibitors in treating cancer across age groups, offering hope for more effective therapies for older adults, the authors say
A new global resolution can advance lung cancer detection Lung cancer alone claims 1 8 million lives yearly, making it the leading cause of cancer-related death – exceeding breast, colon, and prostate cancers combined The burden is heaviest in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where 70% of cancer deaths occur and survival is less than half that of wealthier nations
This new treatment kills cancer with something you might not expect This low-cost, easily administered cancer treatment could significantly improve outcomes in the developing world Ethanol-based cancer treatments Researchers from Duke University have achieved a 100 percent cure rate for squamous cell carcinoma in a hamster model by injecting an ethanol-based gel directly into tumors
How AI is improving diagnostics and health outcomes When breast cancer is detected at stage one, the five-year survival rate is over 90% Colorectal cancer yields a 14% five-year survival rate when diagnosed in later stages but can be around 90% with early diagnosis Therefore, the impact of AI-driven diagnostics on health outcomes cannot be overstated
Supportive care can help people deal with cancer at work | World . . . The financial burden and distress caused by cancer care can lead to negative health outcomes such as skipping treatment Lost workdays, poor work ability and changes to employment increase the risk of this financial toxicity , as does job lock, which is the inability to leave a job freely due to lack of health insurance portability
6 ways evolutionary medicine can transform our health Cancer cells are adaptive organisms that can evolve to evade chemotherapy and other treatments If a small population of chemotherapy-resistant cancer cells develops during treatment, then killing off all drug-sensitive cancer cells gives the resistant population a competitive edge